Michael Clarke questioned Australian team management for deciding to drop Nathan McSweeney from the squad for the remainder of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
Former Australian captain Michael Clarke questioned the Australian side for their decision to drop opener Nathan McSweeney for the remaining two Tests of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He believes that dropping mid-series against India can possibly put an end to his career.
The young batter had made his debut during the opening Test of this very Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Perth, and got dropped from the squad as selectors decided to add Sam Konstas for the remaining two Tests against India.
“Nathan McSweeney has been dropped. I can’t believe that. No matter who they picked in that opening position, they had to give them the series,” Clarke said on the ‘Beyond 23 Cricket’ podcast.
“I think the selectors have got this wrong. We’ve got Usman Khawaja who is 38 years old, he’s made no runs. He’s a senior player,” he added.
Australian openers have failed to perform well against India in the last three Test matches, where McSweeney has come out with the scores of 10, 0, 39, 10*, 9, and 4 in the six innings he has played of three matches.
Clarke also made an estimate that Nathan McSweeney has to deal with the toughest conditions to bat, along with facing the (supposedly) best bowler in the world, i.e. Jasprit Bumrah.
“You are opening the batting in Perth, day-night Test in Adelaide and the Gabba… toughest places in the world to open,” he said.
“He made an unreal 40 (39) in Adelaide…that will be the toughest batting conditions he will ever face in batting in his career… swing, seam, Bumrah, the number one bowler in the world, running in to bowl that was his second Test match,” he added.
Clarke even went on to further question the selectors as they have been treating underperforming senior members of the team in a similar manner even after they have failed to perform in multiple matches.
“We’ve got Marnus Labuschagne, who we were talking about before the series, before he made a 60, he has made no runs. Smith batted like a genius and made a hard-fought 100 here, but he’s been under pressure. Everyone apart from McSweeney is over 30 years of age, and high 30s,” Clarke pointed out.
“Are we going to keep giving youngsters two or three games and then try someone else and keep these older players?” he asked.
“What happens if Usman Khawaja retires in two Test matches? Does McSweeney then come back in or does he go to the back of the queue? This could end his career,” he went on.
Clarke stated that the selectors have made a mistake and should own up to it. He said if the selectors had put enough of their faith in McSweeney, he might have kept his place through the whole summer
“They have got to come out and say, ‘we made a mistake picking him.’ I don’t think it’s fair. They picked him, he deserved the summer,” Clarke said.
“I wish him (Konstas) all the best. I hope he walks out there, and does well, lives his dream, makes a 100 on debut, something like that would be amazing,” he concluded.
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